Shinsaibashi is sort of the heartbeat of Osaka: the intersection of two enormous streets busy with shops and restaurants, with a canal running through for extra scenic pleasure. This neighborhood has no interest in charming tourists, so it’s among the best people-watching spots in Japan. Probably everyone who lives in the Osaka area passes through here—under the giant manga posters, past the noise of the pachinko parlors, past shops with great bad-English signs like LET’S EXCITING SKI, Shinsaibashi is worth a trip.